Molecular distribution, virulence factors and antibiotic resistance of Serratia marcescens; from environment to hospital and vice versa

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.9734112427087

• Palavras-chave: S. marcescens, antibióticos, temperatura, distribución clonal y virulencia

• Keywords: S. marcescens, antibiotics, temperature, clonal distribution and virulence.

• Abstract:

  The clonal distribution of S. marcescens in the environment and hospital sites is of great importance since the virulence and resistance factors are similar in both cases, and these serve the species to colonize diverse niches either at 30°C and/or 37°C. Therefore, the objective was focused on determining the clonality, pathogenicity profile and antibiotic resistance of clinical and environmental S. marcescens at 30°C and 37°C. For this purpose, 26 strains were isolated from different environments and causing healthcare-associated infections (HAI), the ability to produce hemolysins, proteases, lipases, prodigiosin and biofilms, resistance to various antibiotics, and their clonal profile were measured, with the aim of describing their distribution and profile. It was detected that both groups of strains share similar profiles of resistance and production of metabolites associated with virulence, only proteases differ with temperature and clone A is widely distributed, and only clone B is found in the environment and the hospital or vice versa, leading to a distribution of these in both environments.